In recent months, stories about sewers getting clogged have made international headlines. For example, a so-called "fatberg," a mass of grease and diapers, clogged London's sewers. A new study has found stranger materials in a wastewater system: large amounts of rare and precious metals. Researchers examined 64 wastewater treatment centers across Switzerland. A government press release says it was the first study on trace elements in wastewater in an industrialized country. The researchers found 3000 kg of silver and 43 kilograms of gold in effluent and sludge from the centers. The value of the materials was somewhere around $3.1 million dollars. The silver and gold were in the form of tiny particles. The researchers said the particles were most likely released during manufacturing of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or watches.
Title: Scientists Find Large Amounts of Precious Metals in Wastewater
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/precious_waste.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Scientists Find Large Amounts of Precious Metals in Wastewater' data-article-id='2728'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8354'>In recent months, stories about sewers getting clogged have made international headlines.</span> <span data-start-time='8354' data-end-time='18042'>For example, a so-called "fatberg," a mass of grease and diapers, clogged London's sewers.</span> <span data-start-time='18042' data-end-time='23979'>A new study has found stranger materials in a wastewater system:</span> <span data-start-time='23979' data-end-time='28146'>large amounts of rare and precious metals.</span> <span data-start-time='28146' data-end-time='35292'>Researchers examined 64 wastewater treatment centers across Switzerland.</span> <span data-start-time='35292' data-end-time='45375'>A government press release says it was the first study on trace elements in wastewater in an industrialized country.</span> <span data-start-time='45375' data-end-time='56938'>The researchers found 3000 kg of silver and 43 kilograms of gold in effluent and sludge from the centers.</span> <span data-start-time='56938' data-end-time='63979'>The value of the materials was somewhere around $3.1 million dollars.</span> <span data-start-time='63979' data-end-time='69479'>The silver and gold were in the form of tiny particles.</span> <span data-start-time='69479' data-end-time='80500'>The researchers said the particles were most likely released during manufacturing of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or watches.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/precious_waste.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=9687 data-hint-location='45375' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/what_does_effluent_mean.m4a'>What does effluent mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='liquid waste'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/silver_sludge.m4a'><span>silver sludge</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/liquid_waste.m4a'><span>liquid waste</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/sewer_clog.m4a'><span>sewer clog</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/precious_metal.m4a'><span>precious metal</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=9688 data-hint-location='23979' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/what_did_the_study_find.m4a'>What did the study find?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='precious metals '><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/copper_wire.m4a'><span>copper wire</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/precious_metals.m4a'><span>precious metals</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/grease_and_diapers.m4a'><span>grease and diapers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/rough_stones.m4a'><span>rough stones</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=9689 data-hint-location='8354' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/london_sewers_were_clogged_with_grease_and__blank_.m4a'>London sewers were clogged with grease and <span class='blank'>diapers</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='diapers'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/hair.m4a'><span>hair</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/clothing.m4a'><span>clothing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/diapers.m4a'><span>diapers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2211/metals.m4a'><span>metals</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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